The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $526,500 Urban and Community Forestry Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. This funding, which will be distributed over the next five years, is set to support critical environmental initiatives in Kentucky's most disadvantaged communities, with a focus on education, urban greening, and climate resilience.
Empowering Communities and Students
The Urban and Community Forestry Grant aims to achieve a variety of long-term goals in Kentucky. One of the key objectives is to engage students in green career exploration and experiential learning, while also addressing environmental and social inequities in urban spaces. The funding will help increase urban tree canopy in disadvantaged neighborhoods and will enhance the professional development of educators, giving them the tools and knowledge to teach about climate change, urban forestry, and sustainability.
KAEE plans to implement this project through three distinct strategies:
Strategy 1: Green Career Exploration and Experiential Learning
A central focus of this initiative is to inspire Kentucky students to pursue careers in environmental sustainability and stewardship. This will be achieved by creating a dedicated career pathways website that will provide students, school counselors, and educators with comprehensive resources and guidance on green career opportunities. The initiative will also encourage PreK-12 schools to participate in the Kentucky Green Schools (KGS) program, which promotes sustainability and environmental education within schools.
Additionally, the program will offer subgrants to schools in underserved communities, supporting initiatives that focus on climate literacy, resilience, and urban tree canopy coverage on school grounds. KAEE will also organize a Student Leadership Clinic and provide mentorship and internship opportunities in green careers to give students real-world experience and insights into sustainability careers.
Strategy 2: Expanding Urban Tree Canopy and Building Climate Resilience
Another major component of the project is to increase the urban tree canopy in Kentucky’s disadvantaged communities, which is critical for improving climate resilience. Subgrants will be awarded to support local urban greening projects that promote climate literacy and environmental sustainability. Through this initiative, KAEE aims to empower communities and schools to take action on climate change while ensuring the equitable distribution of urban tree canopy.
This strategy will focus on fostering community-based projects that align with the broader goals of sustainability, climate resilience, and urban forestry. A thorough application process will ensure that funded projects are both innovative and impactful, contributing to the long-term health and vibrancy of Kentucky’s urban areas.
Strategy 3: Educator Professional Development in Climate Literacy and Green Jobs
To ensure that Kentucky educators are equipped to teach the next generation of environmental leaders, KAEE will offer professional development workshops on climate literacy, green jobs, and urban forestry. These workshops will be open to both formal and informal educators and will take place in both school and community settings to maximize accessibility.
By leveraging existing curricula and resources, these workshops will help educators integrate critical environmental topics into their teaching, empowering students to make informed decisions about sustainability and environmental issues. Feedback mechanisms will be used to assess the effectiveness of these professional development efforts, ensuring that educators receive the most up-to-date and relevant information on these crucial topics.
A Historic Investment in Urban Forestry
The Urban and Community Forestry Grant is part of a larger effort by the USDA Forest Service, which is distributing more than $1 billion in competitive grants to help communities plant and maintain trees, combat extreme heat, and enhance access to nature in cities, towns, and suburbs. These funds are part of the Justice40 Initiative, which aims to direct 40% of federal climate-related investments to disadvantaged communities. The grant funding is made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in U.S. history.
KAEE Executive Director Ashley Hoffman expressed her excitement about the grant, saying, “At KAEE, our daily mission closely aligns with the nature of this grant, and we are thrilled about the new opportunities this funding will usher in for both our organization and the Commonwealth at-large. Our commitment to environmental education is mirrored in the priorities outlined by this grant, such as fostering community engagement in urban forestry planning and sustaining trees, which are integral aspects of our everyday efforts.”
To learn more about the Urban and Community Forestry Grants, visit the USDA Forest Service’s official page at www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/urban-forests/ucf/2023-grant-funding.
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